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Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday said he is considering the Blue Ribbon Committee or Committee on Justice and Human Rights to lead the proposed motu proprio investigation into the war on drugs campaign by the previous administration.
Escudero said the Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano, has the authority to conduct motu proprio investigations while the Congress is in recess.
Should the investigation be conducted when the Senate resumes plenary sessions, Escudero said the Justice and Human Rights Committee, chaired by Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., may handle the probe.
He, however, said that Senate Risa Hontiveros’ proposal to convene the Committee of the Whole to investigate Duterte’s drug war is not off bounds yet.
Escudero also noted Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa agreed to his advice not to preside over any investigation involving him and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to avoid allegations of biases.
“Sumang-ayon naman si Senator Bato sa payo ko kung kaya’t kinakausap ko ang aming mga kasamahan kung ano ang magandang paraan at komite na mag-handle nito (Senator Bato agreed with my advice so I am talking to our colleagues about the best way and committee to handle it),” he said.
Go earlier filed a resolution to launch an inquiry into the previous administration’s drug war while Dela Rosa expressed the intent of his committee on public order and dangerous drugs to conduct a motu propio investigation—to parallel the House Quad Committee into the matter.
Drug war inquiry
Meanwhile, Pimentel agreed to lead the Senate inquiry on the matter once it was officially referred to his panel.
“If referred to Justice committee, then I will have to handle it like the professional that I am (on drug war probe),” he told reporters in a Viber message.
Escudero said he preferred the hearing to commence during the break so that the Senate could give its full attention to the debates on the 2025 national budget.
He said he consulted with his fellow senators on how to proceed with the investigation into the previous administration’s war on drugs “to ensure that the probe is fair and impartial.”
Former police Col. Royina Garma testified there was indeed a “quota and reward system” during the previous drug war campaign.
Go, who was the former Special Assistant to the President, and Dela Rosa as well as former PNP officials have denied the existence of a reward system and extra-judicial killings in the Duterte’s war on drugs.
Right to defend
Once the inquiry begins, Escudero assured that every senator who wants to speak about the matter during the public hearing “to defend themselves will be allowed to do so.”
“Para sa akin may karapatan naman ang mga miyembro ng Senado na ipagtanggol ang kanilang sarili, na ilabas ang kanilang panig kung sa pananaw nila ay hindi ito lubusang napagbigyang mailabas doon sa Kamara (For me, each member of the Senate has the right to defend themselves and explain their side if they think they have not fully presented at the House),” Escudero said.
The Senate President stressed that “accused persons have the right to confront those who testify against them.”
“Karapatan ‘yon at hindi ‘yon pwedeng alisin (That’s their right that we can’t take away from them),” he added.